LA Digs - Northeast LA Real Estate Blog

If the home you sell was your primary residence two of the last 5 years, guess what? There is no tax on your capital gains!

Whether we’re talking homes for sale in Glassell Park, commercial real estate in Eagle Rock or homes in Mt. Washington, nobody can dispute that it has been a seller’s market. Northeast Los Angeles real estate market remains red hot and many property owners have cashed in.

Though surely not everyone …

I can’t tell you how many times over the last 29 years someone has told me, “I don’t want to sell because I don’t want to pay the tax if I don’t buy another property within 2 years.”

An investment in homeownership in NELA isn't just a sound investment in the good life. It's a good investment period. The numbers tell the story and they don't lie.

It's official. Owners of single family homes in Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington and even Glassell Park homes are asking - and getting - a million dollars or more. Let's face it: There's never been a better time to be a homeowner in Northeast Los Angeles. The numbers are in!

As of December 29, 2017 (the last day of the year that sales could be recorded by the County), zip code 90041 had 51 single family homes sell for over $1 million each, including the highest sale ever recorded here. And now in January, 2018, an even higher highest sale ever closed escrow! Yes, after 7 years of trying with various agents, the almost 3-acre historic Bekins estate at last sold to a comedian and his heiress wife for $5,250,000!

The following table shows the number of $million homes sold over the last 6 years in Eagle Rock (zipcode 90041), Highland Park (90042), Glassell Park (including Mt. Washington--90065) and for some contrast, South Pasadena (91030).

Million $ Single Family Homes

What is going on? Are we in a bubble? This is the question so many people are asking now. Respected real estate experts (and it seems like everyone else) have been asking this question since 2012. These very same experts have been absolutely certain that these price increases are unsustainable. And yet they continue. Why? Partly because we continue to experience low interest rates and low inventory. Also, Northeast Los Angeles is still cheaper than most communities to the west of us like Los Feliz, Silverlake, even Echo Park. We are considered the closest “decent” neighborhoods to downtown according to many buyers. Others are beginning to look at other neighborhoods like El Sereno and Lincoln Heights who are seeing prices go up accordingly.

Let’s face it, prices go up and some people can no longer afford to buy where they want to. This is not a new story, but it’s painful if it’s your story.

If today's homebuyers want to score big in the hot and active Northeast LA real estate market, it behooves them to think like a seasoned investor.

Many first time buyers in the crazy Northeast Los Angeles real estate market do feel like they have a tiger by the proverbial tail. From their point of view, they looked at dozens of homes for sale in Highland Park or Eagle Rock, dutifully attending open houses. They have competed time after time, pouring their hearts out in charming "I love your house and we are the cute couple you should pick to buy it" letters, scraping together every dime they can, revealing all their financial secrets to people they've never met and probably never will. And then, the 13th or 23rd time they go through this, they win!

They get to buy a house! Now what?

Now they do inspections and, oh my! This house needs work! It costs more than anyone they are related to — anyone they've ever known — has ever paid and it's not perfect! Not only that, this crazy market has been going up way too long and they just know that the minute they close escrow, the crash will happen and they will be stuck with an overpriced turkey that still needs work. Yikes! They have listened to their friends and reluctantly to Uncle Joe the accountant who bought his last house in 1982, and they are beginning to think the family and friends might be right—they are being chumps and they'd better get out while they can.

But they have a buyers' agent who reassures them that even though the house was sold as-is, even though the homeowners provided a general inspection and even a chimney and sewer inspection that revealed these issues, they can still ask for credits and repairs and negotiate the price down.

What the seller may choose to do about the requests is anyone's guess — but often they say no, or maybe they'll negotiate a little bit. Now the ball is back in the buyer's court. What next?

General thoughts: you can say yes, no, or negotiate somewhere between. But if this was a multiple offer situation, there is a good chance the seller has a backup offer, maybe even higher than yours, just waiting for you to back out. Or if you just give up and back out, often the property ends up selling for even more than you were willing to pay. We had that happen a few times in the last year, and sometimes it was a very significant amount of money.

Ask yourself if what you are feeling about this house is really your fear talking. After all, this is a big financial step for you—it might be the biggest step you've ever taken and you don't want to make a mistake. If you are asking all your friends and family what you should do, remember that the best advice they can give you from their perspective is to not take the step— because that is the "safe" choice. But in a couple of years when you still are renting an apartment and prices have continued to go up, will it really have been the safest path?

Some background: this crazy market has been recovering from the Great Recession for a good 5 to 8 years depending on where you are and what you define as "The Bottom." The majority of buyers have only been aware of it for about 4 years, when the number of homes on the market around my 'hood in Northeast Los Angeles dropped to almost nothing and prices started spiking up. For about the last 3 years, some people (many of them smart savvy Realtors) have said that this market is unsustainable and prices will soon level off—possibly even go down!

Suggestion #1: Look at what investors are doing. The beginning of the Renaissance of Highland Park began in 2009 when it truly was the bottom and investors came in and bought crummy thrashed foreclosures for cash, fixed them up with some style so that the people who could get a loan (if only from the Bank of Mom & Dad) would be attracted by the good looks and affordable prices and buy them—and the investor made a good profit. When the great deals got scooped up after a few years, eventually most investors moved on to higher priced neighborhoods where the profit margins were even higher again. Look at what's going on now, though—the investors have come back! Now NELA is where they can make a profit.

Many buyers today say that investors have scooped up all the "deals" and they cannot afford to buy the $million-plus flips that they produce. My question is, why didn't you buy the fixer when it was affordable and fix it up yourself? I have often heard buyers say that that is what they would like to do, but the investor went in and scooped up the property for themselves. In many cases, that is just not so. Here are the facts: in the 90041 Eagle Rock zip code, there were 34 $million + sales in 2016. Of them, 19 were flips. Of them, 12 were listed in the MLS, they were on the market an average of 69 days, and they sold for an average price of $645,000, which was slightly under the average asking price. And they sold fixed up for an average of $1,184,000 in 20 days on the market. That's about a $500,000 gross profit. Figuring in maybe $350,000 in renovation and sales costs, you have a net profit of $150,000. I'm guessing on costs, by the way.

But let's assume you never wanted to buy a fixer. The other interesting lesson to learn from where the investors are buying is that they think Northeast Los Angeles can sustain their investment/profit formula. Remember, they have a lot of risk—they generally pay cash (often with expensive hard-money loans), often self-fund the renovation, and generally take several months to complete the project. They do not want to risk so much money and time and then see the market go away, so if they have faith in the future market, that's a good sign.

Suggestion #2: Don't be confused about what you are really buying. Fix-it items on a house are just that, fixes. What is really important is the location, the lifestyle it offers you, the amenities nearby. I know my friends in the Midwest think our market is crazy—and they thought so 34 years ago when we bought our first house in Eagle Rock for $95,000. That particular house is probably worth $750,000 today, while the same house in Springfield, Missouri might be worth $125,000 today, maybe not that much. If the price of the home is that important or necessary to you, by all means, move to a less expensive area.

Keep in mind that real estate is primarily a long-term investment. If you are planning to move on in 2 years, maybe you should rent. But if you have the money and it seems like the right next step in your life, don't let your fears hold you back.

Pacific Oaks, a private school in Pasadena, has decided to sell off one of the two Craftsman-style mansions it occupies. The 1909 Myron Hunt designed building at 6 Westmoreland Place can be yours for the price of $4 million! The school feels it is not fully utilizing the large space.

The house is 11,000 square feet on three levels. Zoning could make it difficult to restore the building to its original use as a home, so an institutional use is most likely.

If this sounds like something that suits your needs, give us a call at 626.844.2256.

Listing courtesy of Hoss MacVaugh, MacVaugh & Co.

This property is all about the fabulous view off the large deck...

Do you even need to see any more?

Okay, okay, the rest of the house is pretty cool too... 1013 Oban is a modern-style home with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It has a great open floor plan with full length windows showing off that gorgeous view. The kitchen has stainless-steel cabinets and marble counter tops.

Details: Listed for $599,000, 1,384SF on a 6,534 SF lot, Mount Washington School District, hardwood floors throughout, central air, attached garage.

Want to see it? Give us a call at 626-844-2256.

Listing Courtesy of Henry Plascencia, Prudential.

1202 Kipling Avenue is our bright, light and airy new listing in Eagle Rock. Located north of Colorado Boulevard, Kipling is an updated traditional with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Inside you'll find spacious rooms, slate and bamboo floors, central air and heat, updated electrical system and copper plumbing. The open floor plan is destined for entertaining!

Enjoy outdoor dining on the deck off the kitchen/dining area. The landscaped back yard is completely fenced.

Eagle Rock schools include Dahlia Heights Elementary (according to LAUSD School Finder). Easy distance to Eagle Rock Recreational Center and park, Old Town Pasadena, and freeways to further destinations.

Specs: Listed for $549,000. Built in 1948. 2,086 SF on a 5,009 SF lot.

For more pictures, visit www.1202Kipling.com.

Usually when I see things like "original home added on to" in property remarks, I cringe instantly because a lot of add-ons are truly AWFUL. But when we pulled up to 857 Bank Street yesterday for broker's caravan I was very pleasantly surprised.

The Victorian house was originally built in 1890 and then moved to its current location in 1966. It is currently lender owned, and the bank is actually responsible for finishing the upgrades and add-ons. While there are some finishes that I might have done differently, the lender managed to maintain some original charm throughout the home. There are great floor inlays in the hardwood floors, beautiful tile work in the bathrooms, and large windows flooding the house with light throughout.

Modern upgrades include state of the art kitchen with two sub-zeros and a commercial range, master bath with jacuzzi tub and his-and-her's steam shower, central air and heat, and in-kitchen laundry

The home also has a good sized yard with a deck and a patio overlooking the lawn.

Specs: 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, two fireplaces (living room and master bedroom), a two-car garage, hardwood floors throughout, 3,190 SF on a 11,617 SF lot. Listed for $1,200,000. If you'd like to view this home, give me a call at 626.827.9795.

Listing Courtesty of Deborah Maxson, Sotheby's International Realty.